8 fly-tipping incidents that wrecked Christmas on farms

Council chiefs say January is among the worst months for fly-tipping, with rogue traders and residents dumping post-festive waste across the countryside.

That’s why several councils across the country launched pre-Christmas crackdowns on fly-tipping to warn of the penalties for waste crime.

As part of our Stop the Blot campaign (see below), Farmers Weekly examines fly-tipping incidents that have already taken place in rural areas over the festive period and early new year to highlight the ongoing problem of this rural waste epidemic.

Taxpayers had to cough up £58m to clear more than 1m incidents of fly-tipping in England during 2016-17 – a 7% increase from the previous year.

But the Defra figures do not include the majority of incidents of waste illegally dumped on private land, which landowners are liable for and have to pay to clear up at an average cost of about £1,000.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is encouraging farmers and landowners to report waste dumped illegally in gateways, fields and hedgerows.

CLA president Tim Breitmeyer said: “Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. It affects almost two-thirds of private landowners and blights the countryside.

“We are fed up of clearing away other people’s rubbish and paying for the privilege.”

1. Beeston Hall, Ripponden, West Yorkshire

Beef and sheep farmers Stephen and Rachel Hallos say they have nowhere to turn for help to clear a fly-tipping eyesore.

This mass of waste, which includes old chairs, wood, mattresses, children’s toys and building materials was dumped over the festive period at Beeston Hall Farm, Ripponden, West Yorkshire.

Their son Sam, 21, discovered the monstrosity after he went to spread manure on a field. He filmed the site and aired the video on Twitter (@rachelhallos).

The waste is next to a dilapidated barn, owned by a private landowner who is on the run from police.

But the wind is blowing the detritus into neighbouring fields farmed by the Hallos family, including a hay meadow under a Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement to restore wildlife.

“It’s not the responsibility of our landowner, Yorkshire Water, or us to clear this rubbish,” said Mrs Hallos. “The council say it’s not their responsibility either, as the waste is on private land. We don’t know who to turn to.”

CLA director North Dorothy Fairburn said: “It’s disgusting to see our rural landscapes being blighted by the reckless actions of, to be frank, criminals.”

8. Goldsland Farm, Vale of Glamorgan

Old kitchen cabinets, carpets and even an old garden shed were among the items dumped in St Lythans in mid December.

Ms Reader had to hire a large skip to remove the waste, which was then taken back to her farmyard to sift through to ensure the waste did not include any hazardous materials.

The incident cost the farm about £600 which included labour and removal by a waste disposal company. “I was furious. I can’t believe how brazen these people are,” said Ms Reader.

National disgrace is blighting countryside

The range of cases on show here highlights just how widespread fly-tipping has become on private rural land, writes CLA legal adviser Andrew Gillett.

It is a national disgrace that blights our countryside and causes a huge dent in the rural economy.

Farmers and landowners usually find a spike in incidents after every public holiday and as waste generally attracts more waste, once there is a fly-tipping hotspot more usually follows.

The Christmas and new year period is no time for farmers to relax and plan for the year ahead when they have the burden and expense of clearing up other people’s rubbish.

More and more fly-tipping cases are on an industrial-scale, particularly when the land is located on the fringes of urban areas. As these incidents show, it is large household items, building materials, hazardous waste and even deadstock being dumped across our countryside because the perpetrators know they can get away with it.

Part of the problem is the council fee putting people off lawful disposal at the local tip, but it is also businesses not complying with existing waste disposal regulations which can encourage organised crime.

Government action to help tackle this antisocial behaviour is essential. Defra’s consultation, published this week to fine households up to £400 if they pay an unauthorised waste carrier to take away rubbish and allow free disposal of DIY waste at council tips, goes some way to cracking down on the crime.

People would be more encouraged to do the right thing and dispose of their rubbish through proper legal channels if they see that fines are enforced.

The CLA will continue to highlight the issue of fly-tipping on private land until a reasonable and fair solution can be introduced to ensure clearing up other people’s rubbish is not the responsibility of the fly-tipped landowner.

Seven tips to reduce the risk of fly-tipping on farmland

Report all instances of fly-tipping

Ensure gates to fields are locked and open up concealed entrances so they are more visible to passers-by

Arrange for the removal of any fly-tipped waste as soon as possible

Install CCTV

Liaise with neighbours to share information

Ensure farms are kept tidy so as not to attract waste

Implement a farm waste plan setting out what steps will be taken and when

If you see fly-tipping in progress, don’t approach the culprits, but take a note of the vehicle’s registration number and its description, the time and the location. You can report it to the police, since it’s a crime in progress, but if you don’t want to do that, at least tell the local council about it.

Source: CLA

Stop the Blot

Fly-tippers are ruining our countryside and clean-up costs are crippling farm businesses. That’s why we have launched our Stop the Blot campaign to help raise awareness of the damage caused by fly-tipping and tackle the growing epidemic on farms.